Baby guard



June 26, 1962 R. J. CHARLES 3,041,594

7 BABY GUARD Filed Dec. 26, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ralph J. Char/es INVENTOR.

June26,1962 R. J. CHARLES BABY GUARD Filed Dec.-26, 1957 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ralph 1 Char/es INVENTOR.

June 26, 1962 I R. J. CHARLES 3,041,594

BABY GUARD I Filed'Dec. 26, 1957 5 5 Sheets-Sheet s Fig.5

Fig.6 35 24 7 39 7 p INVENTOR.

United States Patent M 3,041,594 BABY GUARD Ralph J. Charles, 403 25th St., Watervliet, N.Y. Filed Dec. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 705,398 4 Claims. (Cl. 340-283) This invention relates to a protective device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for signalling in response to movement of a sensory structure that is especially adapted for mounting over a baby carriage thereby providing protection for the baby in the carriage, stroller, etc.

Although the principal application of my invention is considered to be, at the present time, as a safety device for babies in perambulators of one type or another, there are other uses of my invention. The sensory structure is designed in a casing and yields an intensive audible signal in response to the disturbance of a particular set position of the casing. There are means in my safety device for compensating for angularity, as when the carriage is stopped on a hill. The referenced position of the sensory structure is changeable to meet the particular needs at the time that the signal device is used.

In brief, the sensory structure of the invention is mounted in a convenient casing with a door or closure of one type or another, that locks with a key-controlled lock. The electric circuit in the casing has a specially designed mercury switch which closes when the box is tilted. This operates a holding relay which energizes a bell and it continues to ring until the key-controlled lock is opened and the door or closure is also opened. This is the only way that the circuit can be re-set. This avoids the possibility of an intruder tilting the sensory device and then quickly returning it to the level position with only a short signal being yielded. My invention is so arranged that the bell continues to ring until someone in possession of the key of the lock appears to open the closure. This is a considerable improvement over other signal devices of which I am aware and of which I have been made aware.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device which exemplifies my invention, the device mounted on a conventional carriagein the suggested location. I

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken 'on the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the lock and latch which holds the closure or door in a locked position and at the same time functions as a switch.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5 and showing principally the mercury switch and the mounting means for the switch.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a schematic wiring diagram showing the circuit of the signalling device.

In the accompanying drawings there is a baby carriage 10 which schematically represents any type of carriage, perambulator, stroller, etc. within which a small child would be located. The carriage has sides 13 and 14 to which the arms 15 and 16 of support 18 are secured. The other arms 20 and 22 are attached to the casing 24,

as are arms 15 and 16, and contact the hood 25 and the foot 26 of the carriage. The arms 15, 16, 20 and 22 are flat and elongated with arms 15 and 16 having adjustable clamps 28 and 30 thereon firmly attaching them to the sides 13 and 14 of the carriage. Arms 20 and 22 merely contact the carriage foot 26 and hood 25 respectively in order to transmit motion to the casing 24.

The casing 24 is mounted directly above the baby in the carriage and the four arms that are at approximately right angles to each other, form a protective covering for the child so that the child cannot be fitted between the arms. Accordingly, the only way to remove the child, in the absence of breaking the carriage, would be to disturb the casing 24. The casing houses sensory structure which detects or senses the tilting of the casing and yields a signal that is quite loud and which is carried over a long duration.

The casing 24 has four side walls '33, 34, 35 and 36 with the upper portions thereof attached to cover panel 37 and the lower edges thereof attached to the bottom 38. The sides are each formed in two pieces so that the upper parts thereof cooperate with the top panel 37 that is hinged as at 41 and 42, to the lower portion of the backwall 36. Accordingly, the entire top of the casing functions as a closure or door because it can be hingedly opened and hingedly closed. When closed, it is latched by latch 46. This latch consists of a plate which is mounted on a pivot 47 between its upper and lower ends and which has a notch 48 near its upper end engageable with latch pin 50. The latch pin is carried by a wall of the closure 51. The lower end of the arm 46 has a contact 52 which touches fixed contacts 53 and 54 thereby bridging them. Fixed contacts 53 and 54 are mounted on a support 55 that is located in the casing 24. A key controlled lock 56 of conventional construction, is carried by the front wall of the casing and has the pivot 47 attached to the moving part of the lock, usually the barrel.

The bottom wall 38 0f the casing has a sleeve 60 locked with upper and lower washers 61 and 62 on the upper surface of bottom wall 38 and the bottom surface of the junction portion 39 of the four arms 15, 16, 20 and 22. The lower end of the sleeve 60 is threaded to accept hollow plug 64 and nut 65 that actually locks the sleeve in place. The hollow plug 64 has a bolt 66 threaded in it and the inner end of the plug accommodates a plunger 68 that is vertically adjustableby adjusting screw 66. A coil spring 71 is on the reduced end of plunger 68 and fits in a well 71 in seat member 72. The upper part of the seat member 72 is dished to accept the ball 73. Stud 74 extends from the upper end of the ball and it is threaded in the receptacle 75. The receptacle has a cavity 76 within which a mercury switch 77 is disposed. As shown in FIGURE 6, the mercury switch is made of a glass envelope 78 that has a ring 79 of conductive material located in it but spaced from the pool of mercury 80 in the bottom of the envelope. One contacting wire 81 extends through the sealed top of the envelope and through the area circumscribed by the ring 79 and is partially immersed in the mercury 80. The other contact 82 is attached to the ring and passes through an opening in the sealed upper end of the envelope. Lead wires 83 and 84 are soldered or otherwise joined to the conductors 81 and 82 and pass through openings in the receptacle 75.

A 360 level 87 is connected by bolts 88 to the top part of the receptacle and is inspected in setting the mercury switch. The operation of the mercury switch is deemed apparent from inspection of FIGURE 6. It is capable of being moved to any position with the ball 73 forming a swivel connection or universal joint in that Patented June 26, 1962- a part of its upper surface is held captive in the socket 89 formed by the cavity within which the seat member 72 is operable.

The remainder of the necessary parts for my safety device consists of one or more batteries. 90 in battery holders 91. These are carried by the casing on the inside thereof as are all of the other operative elements. They provide energy to the terminal strip 92 that is carried by the casing, from which the latching relay 93 isenergized. This latching relay is of standard form, having been purchased, and is controlled by the tilt responsive switch 94 (see FIGURE 6). Bell 95 has been selected as the means of providing an audible signal, and it is wired to the terminal block 92 and to terminal block 96, as is the switch 94 and latching relay 93. The switch is key controlled and wired serially with the battery so that the circuit is not broken until such time that the closure is open. The key is required to do this. As shown in FIGURE 8, when the switch 94 becomes closed, current can flow to the latching relay and holds it. The switch of the latching relay closes the circuit of the bell 95 and it continues to ring. Since this circuit is isolated from the circuitry of the switch 94, the return of the switch 94 to the upright position will not stop the bells ringing. Instead, the main circuit has to be opened by opening switch 99 which is controlled by the key of lock 56.

It is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the claimed invention. Among these are the miniaturization of the entire casing and its contents. Four dry cell batteries are shown in the battery holders 91, but these could be omitted for a hearing aid battery or some other kind of battery. The same holds true for many of the elements. Moreover, the device need not be exclusively used with the detection of intruders of the privacy of children. This invention is not restricted to a single use Where kidnapping is thwarted, but may be used in connection with any animate or inanimate object whose movement is to be signailed. With the four arms 15, 16, 20 and 22 detached, the safety device can be placed almost anywhere to guard almost anything by producing a signal in response to unauthorized movement. Many minor attachments can be made for or to take the place of the arms to accommodate the article that is being protected.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A safety device for signalling unauthorized tampering with an animate or inanimate object comprising a casing, support arms radially extending from said casing for supporting same, an alarm means enclosed in said casing and movable in response to tilting of said casing, said alarm means comprising a series circuit ineluding an alarm device, a source of electrical energy and a tilt responsive gravity operated switch, means swivelly mounting said switch within said casing, and means connecting a holding relay to said series circuit maintaining said alarm device energized subsequent to the closing and opening of said switch.

2. A safety device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means swivelly mounting said switch includes a universal joint having adjustable braking means for preventing undesired movement between relatively movable. parts of the joint.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said support arms have clamping means on their free ends adapted to engage the upper edges of a baby carriage, said casing having cantilevered projections fixed thereto for moving it, said projections being adapted to extend longitudinally of the baby carriage.

4. A safety device for signalling unauthorized tampering with an animate or inanimate object comprising a casing, support arms radially extending from said casing for supporting same, an alarm means enclosed in said casing and movable in response to tilting of said casing, said alarm means comprising a series circuit including an alarm device, a source of electrical energy and a tilt responsive gravity operated switch, means swivelly mounting said switch within said casing, and means connecting a holding relay to said series circuit and in parallel with said switch for maintaining said alarm device energized subsequent to the closing and opening of said switch, said casing including a pivotally secured closure, a key controlled lock including cooperating portion of said casing for retaining said closure in a closed and locked position, a second switch operatively connected with and operated by said key controlled lock, said switch being automatically opened when said lock is opened, said switch serially interposed in said series circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,712,771 Kohler May 14, 1929 2,344,014 Allison Mar. 14, 1944 2,525,930 Mevorach Oct. 17, 1950 2,627,065 Poulson Jan. 27, 1953 2,758,296 Larsen Aug. 7, 1956 2,797,405 Stelter June 25., 1957 2,807,682 Senglaub Sept. 24,.1957 2,884,623 Stelter Apr. 28, 1959 

